SINGER ISLAND— Leadership guru John C. Maxwell says he has sold more than 20 million books during his 30-year career, making him the rare example of a writer of business tomes who has turned his ideas into riches.

Maxwell moved to Palm Beach County from Atlanta, and he owns two high-end homes here. In 2007, Maxwell paid $3.75 million for a 9,900-square-foot home in Tequesta, according to property records. And in September, he paid $4.15 million for a 7,400-square-foot condo at Ritz-Carlton Residences Singer Island.

Maxwell, 64, said he prefers the condo to the house because he spends so much time traveling the world for speaking engagements and consulting appointments.

“This is just easy – easy in, easy out,” Maxwell said.

The author hosted a signing of his latest book, The 5 Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential, at the Ritz-Carlton on Monday.

As an author of self-improvement books, Maxwell faces no shortage of competition. Bookshelves are crammed with titles about leadership, communication and teamwork by gurus, CEOs and coaches.

Maxwell said he has built a following because his books are easy to understand.

“An educator takes something simple and makes it complicated,” Maxwell said. “A communicator takes something complicated and makes it simple.”

He puts himself in the communicator category.

Maxwell urges his readers to market themselves, and the author isn’t shy about self-promotion. During a short speech on Monday, Maxwell referred to his five levels of leadership as “the bible of Microsoft,” and he called his treatises on teamwork “the bible of the NFL.”

Maxwell counts among his fans the U.S. Military Academy and the heads of Delta Air Lines and Chick-fil-A.

And while he stresses the power of positive thinking, Maxwell also urges his followers to adjust to economic reality. In tough economic times, he says, just surviving in business can be a victory.

“You have to reframe the picture,” Maxwell said. “You have to reframe success.”

Five P’s of Leadership

John Maxwell’s five levels of leadership are:

1. Position: People follow you because they have to.

2. Permission: People follow you because they want to.

3. Production: People follow you because of what you have done for the organization.

4. People development: People follow you because of what you have done for them.

5. Pinnacle: People follow you because of who you are and what you represent.

Written by Jeff Ostrowski for PalmBeachPost.com